PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA THURSDAY OCTOBER 14 1982
OPENING ADDRESS AT CHOGRM III, SUVA
I AM VERY PLEASED TO HAVE THE HONOUR TO RESPOND TO THE GRACIOUS
WELCOME THAT HAS SEEN GIVEN US THIS MORNING. IT IS A TYPICALLY
W) ARM FIJIAN PACIFIC WELCOE AN D ON. THAT CiARACTE. R ISES THE
FRIENDS. HP AND THE WARMTH OF THE PACIFIC HOSPITALITY AND FRI -ENDSHPI
BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO KNOW EACH OTHER.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I AM ESPECIALLY GLAD TO SEE THE REPUBLIC OF
MALDIVES, OUR NEWEST MEMBER, IN REPRESENTED HERE FOR THE FIRST
TIME. THEIR REPRESENTATION STRENGHT'NS SMALL ISLAND REPRESENTATION
WHICH IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS AND EARLIER MEETINGS.
THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT REGIONAL MEETING GIVES SMALL
ISLAND STATES A MAJOR ROLE AND THAT IS ONE OF ITS SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS
PERHAPS UNLIKE ALMOST ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL FORUM. IT IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD IN A WAY WHICH CAN SE SUBSTANTIAL AND I
HOPE USEFUL AND PRACTICAL. AUSTRALIA BELIEVES IN THE COMMONWEALTH
HEADS OF GOVERNMENT REGIONAL MEETINGS AND BELIEVES THAT THOSE MEETINGS
ARE OF IMPORTANCE FOR OTHER REASONS. THERE IS A COMMON ASSOCIATION,
THRE ARE COMMON BELIEFS ANONSGST ALL OF US WHICH GIVES US A
COMMON PURPOSE AND PROVIDES A BASIS FOR FRANK AND PLAIN DIALOGUE
ON PROBLEMS THAT WE OFTEN SHARE THAT ENABLES US TO SEARCH EACH OTHERS'
MINDS IN REACHING FOR SOLUTIONS.
THE COMMONWEALTH ITSELF HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT IT IS A FLEXIBLE
ORGANISATION, ONE THAT DOES WORK BY CONSENSUS, THAT IS NOT IDEOLOGICAL.
ONE OF ITS GREAT CHARACTERISTICS IS THAT REPRESENTATIVES
WITH VERY DIFFERING POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES CAN SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND
SEEK COMMON SOLUTIONS TO PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. IT IS DOUBTFUL IF THERE
IS ANY OTHER WORLD FORUM WHICH ENABLES THAT TO TAKE PLACE IN THE
SAME WAY. SO FAR AS THIS REGIONAL MEETING IS CONCERNED, ITS COMPARTIVE
SMALLNESS AND THE COMMON ASIA-PACIFIC INTERESTS, PROVIDE US I
BELIEVE, WITH AN ADDED ADVANTAGE.
WE HAVE PRODUCED SOME PRACTICAL RESULTS. THE WORKING STUDY
GROUPS IN TRADE, ENERGY AND IN INDUSTRY HAVE BEEN USEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS
IN CO-OPERATION BETWEEN US. THIS THIRD COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF
GOVERNMENT REGIONAL MEETING WILL PROVIDE A FURTHER OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE
ISSUES OF SOME IMPORTANCE, THE LAW OF THE SEA CONVENTION,
THE ATTITUDE TAKEN BY SOME MAJOR STATES, NOTABLY BY THE UNITED
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STATES, OFFERS US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS Ti-iE PRESENT IMPA~ SE
IN THE NORTH-SOUTH DIALOGUE WHICH MUST REGAIN HOMENiUM. IT IS A
MATTER OF GREAT REGRET THAT THE GLOBAL NEGOTIATIONS APPEAR TO BE
STALLED DESPITE THE IMPETUS PROVIDED AT MELBOURNE LAST YEAR, AT
CANCUN AND AT VERSAILLES. IT PROVIDED US WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO
STUDY THE REPORT ON OBSTACLES TO NORTH-SOUTH NEGOTIATIONS, TO
SEE IF THERE IS ANY INDICATION THERE AS TO WHY IT IS SO DIFFICULT
TO MAKE PROGRESS.
THERE ARE OTHER COMMONWEALTH INITIATIVES THAT CAN BE TAKEN FURTHER
IN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE DAYS. THE CAIRNCROSS REPORT ON THE
IMPACT OF PROTECTION ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IS ONE OF GREAT
SIGNIFICANCE TO A LARGE NUMBER OF OUR PRESENT MEMBERS, AND THE
COMMONWEALTH FINANCE MINISTERS MEETING COMMUNIOUE WHICH INCLUDES THE
PROPOSED STUDY AT INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS, TO WHICH
MR MULDOON HAS PAID A VERY SPECIAL INTEREST.
THIS MEETING COMES AT A DIFFICULT TIME. THERE IS GLOBAL POLITICAL
INSTABILITY OF A KIND THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN FOR A VERY LONG WHILE.
THE WORLD ECONOMY REAINS DEPRESSED AND DESPITE SOME WHO SEEH TO
INDICATE HOPEFUL SIGNS IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE PROSPECTS
OF CONTINUING RECESSION, NOT NECESSARILY FOR MONTHS, BUT HMYBE FOR
PERIODS MUCH LONGER THAN THAT. TRADE LIBERALISATION AGAINST THAT
BACKGROUND BECOMES A MATER OF MAJOR CONCERN AND MAYBE THE ONLY WAY
TO GENERATE GROWTH WITHIN THE DEVELOPED WORLD AND BETWEEN THE DEVELOPED
AND THE DEVELOPING WORLD. THERE IS A NEED TO ACT TOGETHER
TO FIGHT PROTECTIONISM.
AUSTRALIA SOME TIME AGO ADVANCED CERTAIN INITIATIVES, A FREEZE
ON PROTECTION, A FREEZE AND A REDUCTION ON EXPORT SUBSIDIES, AND
ULTIMATELY MULTILATERAL CUTS IN PRESENT LEVELS OF PROTECTION.
PROPOSALS SUCH AS THAT HAVE TO BE MULTILATERAL. THEY ARE NOT ONES
EVEN THE LARGEST POWER COULD ACCOMMODATE ALONE. THE FORTHCOMING
MINISTERIAL MEETING OF GATT WILL BE OF SIGNIFICANCE TO SEE IF ANY
PROGRESS CAN BE MADE. THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR US TO DISCUSS
THESE MATTERS AND TO PROVIDE SOME FURTHER IMPETUS IN THE FIGHT
AGAINST NOT JUST EXISTING LEVELS OF PROTECTION, BUT INCREASING
LEVELS OF PROTECTION.
WJE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSIONS HERE TODAY. THERE ARE MANY
MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE BEFORE US, BUT ABOVE ALL, IF THIS MEETING CAN
DO SOMETHING TO HELP PROVIDE THE DETERMINATION, THE CONVICTION, AND
THE WILL WHICH IS SO SORELY NEEDED NOT JUST AMONGST OUR PRESENT
MEMBERS, BUT AMONGST THE WIDER WORLD, THEN THAT IN ITSELF WOULD -HAVE
BEEN WORTHWHILE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEE THE DIRECTIONS
THAT OUGHT TO BE TAKEN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, TO LACK THE COUlRAGE
AND DETERMINATION TO TAKE THE INITIAL FIRST STEP. ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE IS TO HELP PROVIDE THAT
IMPETUS, HELP PROVIDE THAT SENSE OF DIRECTION AND HELP PROVIDE THE
DETERMINATION WHICH WILL ENABLE PERHAPS OTHERS, WHO MAY BE LARGER
AND MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY OF US HERE, TO TAKE STEPS AND DIRECTIONS
THAT WOULD HELP THE WORLD GET OUT OF THE PRESENT RECESSION AND
PRESENT DIFFICULTIES.
YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE PRIME MINISTER RATU MARA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
INDEED FOR THE GENEROSITY OF YOUR WELCOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
INDEED FOR THE HOSPITALITY THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY EXTENDED TO SU.
IT WAS A TYPICALLY WARM AND GENEROUS WELCOME AND ONE WHICH I VALUE
GREATELY AND I AM SURE WE ALL DO.